Lilou Wadoux added one other landmark achievement to her racing resume on Saturday, capturing her first profession IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship pole place throughout GTD qualifying for the Motul SportsCar Endurance Grand Prix at Street America.
Driving the #21 AF Corse USA Ferrari 296 GT3 EVO, Wadoux set a GTD-leading lap of 2m04.688s across the 4.048-mile, 14-turn natural-terrain highway course.
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The consequence got here in her thirteenth WeatherTech Championship begin and on her first look on the Wisconsin circuit, following a troublesome build-up for the crew.
After encountering technical setbacks at Watkins Glen, AF Corse introduced a newly prepped Ferrari to Street America. Nonetheless, unpredictable climate added one other layer of issue heading into qualifying. A moist second session left groups with minimal dry setup time earlier than the decisive session.
“We had points on the automotive [in Watkins Glen], so we had a brand new automotive for right here. The crew did an incredible job to have a great automotive,” Wadoux mentioned after qualifying. “For certain it was not straightforward with FP2 within the rain. We weren’t actually prepared for quallie, however on the finish, we did a fairly good job. I am fairly proud of this pole place.”
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ELKHART LAKE, WISCONSIN – AUGUST 1: #21: Af Corse USA, Ferrari 296 GT3 EVO, GTD in apply: Simon Mann, Lilou Wadoux Ducellier, Antonio Fuoco through the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship Motul SportsCar Endurance Grand Prix at Street America on August 1, 2026 in Elkhart Lake, Wisconsin
ELKHART LAKE, WISCONSIN – AUGUST 1: #21: Af Corse USA, Ferrari 296 GT3 EVO, GTD in apply: Simon Mann, Lilou Wadoux Ducellier, Antonio Fuoco through the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship Motul SportsCar Endurance Grand Prix at Street America on August 1, 2026 in Elkhart Lake, Wisconsin
It made Wadoux the primary girl to assert an IMSA pole since Katherine Legge at Laguna Seca in 2018. Whereas Wadoux’s maiden pole is a historic second for ladies in North American sports activities automotive racing, the 25-year-old French driver stays targeted on her core job: profitable races strictly as a competitor on the highest stage.
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When requested concerning the broader influence of her achievement for ladies in motorsport, Wadoux famous the significance of visibility whereas conserving her main id as a racer entrance and heart.
“To point out that we’re capable of do the identical, it is good,” Wadoux mirrored. “However I am fairly blissful as a driver to do the pole place. We’re increasingly more [women in racing], so we are going to see within the subsequent years if it continues on this means.”
With beginning observe place locked in, Wadoux now turns her consideration to changing single-lap velocity into endurance race success.
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“Yeah,” she mentioned, “we’ll see what we are able to do tomorrow.”
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